Broadband and internet connectivity is one of the most important pieces of infrastructure to any business—most businesses cannot function without it.
Whether you’re running a local cafe and taking card payments, or a large multi-national enterprise, having redundancy for your broadband is a great way to ensure your business continues to run smoothly.
What is a broadband backup/failover solution?
A broadband backup/failover solution is effectively a second broadband connection to your business. In the event that your main connection fails, your business utilises the second connection as the main connection, thereby keeping your business connected to the internet.
The key thing about a broadband backup/failover solution is that it uses a different technology to your main connection. For example, if your business has a fibre line as a main connection, then a 5G or Satellite would be the best backup connection, as it uses a completely different technology, and therefore is unaffected by your.
Imagine the scenario:
Your office team are working hard on a Tuesday morning, and all of a sudden the broadband goes down—leaving you totally in the dark. Even worse for businesses with modern, VoIP-based telephone systems as you’ll lose your telephone system too.
Every minute that your broadband is down, your business is losing productivity and potential revenue.
You don’t know how long your broadband could be out for, and if this a hardware issue (we’ve known cars to drive into street cabinets causing outages!), then Openreach will have to dispatch an engineer to come and physically fix the issue. This can take weeks.
With a failover broadband backup, you negate this entire scenario. When the main connection goes down, your router intelligently recognises this and automatically switches over to the backup—keeping you, your team, your phones and your business online.
What are the options for broadband backup?
There are lots of different technologies that can be utilised as a broadband backup solution. It’s worth noting that businesses can combine multiple of the below options for further redundancy.
1. 4G LTE
Arguably the most common form of business broadband backup is 4G. With nationwide coverage, 4G failovers can be deployed almost anywhere, making them an appealing option for businesses looking for that extra redundancy.
A common concern about 4G is the speed—however, with our business-grade 4G equipment and high powered antennas ensure maximum speeds up to 150mbps, keeping even large businesses connected in the event of an outage.
Bytes Digital are network-agnostic, meaning we can select the best network for your location (Vodafone/EE/O2/Three) to ensure optimal speeds for your location.
For those businesses that require further redundancies, we can utilise a dual-SIM connection. For example, an EE connection as the main redundancy and a further Vodafone SIM in the router for redundancy.
2. 5G
The younger and faster brother of 4G is 5G. 5G broadband backups are fast becoming the number one choice for businesses in 5G-ready locations. On our 5G equipment, we almost always see speeds upwards of 100mbps—faster 93% of UK broadband connections.
A 5G failover works in very much the same way as 4G and LTE, with a SIM card and business-grade 5G router/antenna providing that redundancy. Just like 4G, our team can select the optimal mobile network for your location and add additional networks for further redundancy if required.
Of course, 5G also fails back to 4G if it cannot get a reliable enough signal.
Standard mobile backups (4G/5G) connections don’t have a static IP address, however, for businesses that require a fixed-IP address on their broadband connection, we offer unlimited 5G SIMs with a static IP address. This is ideal for VPN users or offices with in-house servers etc. With a static IP address on your failover (as well as your primary connection), your remote users and those that dial into your premises can continue to do so, even if you lose your main broadband connection.
3. Starlink/Satellite
Being based in the West Country, we’re all too aware that some businesses don’t have the luxury of good cellular coverage. In these cases, we recommend a satellite connection such as a Starlink.
Starlinks and other similar satellites are low earth orbit solutions, meaning they have significantly lower latency and higher speeds than a traditional satellite connection.
With our equipment, your business can utilise a Starlink or Satellite as your backup connection. Just like the cellular options, the equipment intelligently switches between your main connection and backup connection when it detects an outage.
The beauty of a Starlink is that they have no geographic restrictions, and as long as you can see the sky, you can deploy it. This makes Satellite the best option for businesses with little or no 4G signal at their premises—and one of the most versatile broadband backup solutions on the market.
4. Leased line
A leased line is the best broadband solution available to businesses. Leased lines can provide up to 10Gbps of uncontested and dedicated broadband.
Typically reserved for larger businesses or those with no fibre availability (because they can be installed anywhere), this is the most pricey of the options, but also the best.
Installing a redundant leased line means that your businesses will have a dedicated fibre line as your failover, ensuring complete continuity and high performance, even in a worst-case scenario.
When choosing a redundant leased line, it is important to chose one on a different ISP to your main connection. For example, if your main leased line is with BT, then your redundant one should be with TalkTalk or NEOS. Using a separate ISP means that even if the ISP has an outage at network level, your redundant connection keeps your business online.
We have access to all the main ISPs, so if you’re considering rolling out a backup leased line, speak to our team about your options to ensure the line is independent.
How does broadband backup work?
At it’s core, a business broadband backup solution is very simple. When you primary connection stops working, your broadband router intelligently switches over to the backup connection.
Business broadband routers with backup connections continually monitor their internet connection by sending small bits of data between them and the internet, called ’pinging’.
If the ‘ping’ returns no response, then the router can swap into it’s backup mode automatically, without the need for human input. Routers are configured to know which connection is the main connection, and which is the failover.
The router will continually attempt to ping the main connection, and once it is live again it will automatically switch back to it to ensure continuity.
Routers with broadband backup can be configured to failover in one of two ways:
There are different types of broadband failover. A traditional failover uses a single modem and swaps the connection dynamically when the primary connection fails. This means a minute of so of no connectivity while the swap occurs—for most businesses, this is absolutely fine, as they’ll be back online very quickly once that backup connection kicks in.
However, for the cases where the connectivity is mission-critical, some businesses opt for a dual-modem setup, which enables something call hot-swapping. Hot swapping means that both your primary and backup connections are live simultaneously, and if one fails, internet traffic is simply pushed down the other one. With a dual-modem setup, you eliminate the brief, mid-swap downtime and send packets down the backup connection instantaneously.
A lot of off-the-shelf routers from ISPs such as Virgin or BT don’t support broadband failover in either capacity, and some businesses may need some extra equipment to make the failover bit work correctly. If you’re not sure whether your equipment is compatible, speak to a member of our team.
Why does your business need a backup broadband connection?
It can’t be overstated how important your businesses broadband connection is. From emails and video meetings to VoIP phone calls and sales, your broadband connects your team to the world—it’s a vital piece of infrastructure.
Now imagine if you lost all of that, even for a day. What would the cost be of your business in lost productivity and potential sales? If you’re running a VoIP system, customers and prospects can’t get hold of your team on the phone either.
With a backup broadband solution in place, your business can continue running in the event of an outage, keeping your team connected.
How much does a broadband failover cost?
The cost of a broadband backup solution varies depending on the technology you opt for. Typically it ranges from £20 - £150 per month for a cellular, backup fibre line or satellite connection, depending on your exact setup. Cellular backups are the lowest-cost option, with satellites being at the upper end of that bracket.
A backup leased line may be more, as these come with extra guarantees and SLAs, making them even more redundant.
The backup solution you choose for your business will vary depending on your requirements, SMEs and small businesses may benefit from a cellular connection—which is usually the lowest-cost option. Whereas businesses with broadband-dependant, mission-critical infrastructure may opt for secondary or even tertiary fibre lines and satellites.
Of course, some businesses choose to implement multiple different backups, which comes at a cost but adds even further redundancy for the unlikely event of multiple failures.
Speak to our team today for a free, no obligation quotation for a broadband failover solution. Our in-house experts will run you through the options and recommend the best one for your requirements.
Things to consider when choosing your businesses broadband failover.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing a broadband backup solution for your business…
Fixed IP
Most standard business fibre broadband connections come with a fixed-IP address. Fixed IP enables remote working and VPNs, as well as a host of other utilities like in-house hosting and servers.
Some businesses don’t utilise their fixed IP address, it’s just something they have on their line.
If your business does utilise your fixed IP (maybe you have VPN users or an in-house server), then you need to ensure you’re choosing a broadband backup solution with a fixed IP address.
Entry Points
For businesses looking for redundant fibre connections, you must consider the entry point of said fibre. For example, if your primary line comes through the front of your office, and something happens physically to the infrastructure, then your backup fibre line needs to enter the premises from another location, ensuring it is unaffected in the event of an issue.
ISPs
When selecting a broadband backup solution, you should select an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that is different from your primary connection.
If your main ISP has an outage, and your business has the same ISP for a backup connection, then the backup will be affected by the same issue—thereby making it useless.
Typically a cellular backup (4G/5G) is a great way to get around this, as a cellular connection will use a different ISP to a fibre connection because it runs through the mobile networks. Although there are quirks; for example, EE uses BT infrastructure, so we’d recommend a Vodafone or O2 connection for businesses that have a BT line.
Equipment
When implementing your broadband failover solution, the equipment you put in is important. In particular the router and network switch.
There are many different ways to implement a business broadband backup, and the method you utilise will dictate the equipment that is best. If you’re going for a cellular backup, then you’ll need a router that can be configured to take a 4G to 5G SIM card.
If you’re going for a hot-swap connection, then you’ll need equipment that is capable of handling two simultaneous live connections.
Other redundancies to consider in your business communications.
Implementing a broadband backup solution is the first step in protecting your business and it’s critical infrastructure. Here are a few more ways your business can protect itself…
CCTV/Security systems
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Business-grade CCTV systems offer a first-layer of protection against wrongdoers. With strategically placed CCTV cameras around your businesses critical infrastructure and entranceways acts as a great deterrent for anyone thinking of ‘fiddling’.
CCTV also gives you peace of mind. With remote viewing and motion detection you can be alerted. If something does happen at your business while you’re away.
Battery backup and UPS
Your comms cabinet is like the brain of your network. From here, all of your communications run—and the equipment inside it can be sensitive. Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and battery backups ensure your comms cab is connected in the event of a power outage.
UPS’ also protect your equipment from potential power surges, and gives you time to react if the worst does happen.
UPSs can be rack-mounted to fit inside your comms cab, keeping the area tidy and self-contained.
Additional, redundant equipment
If your business has mission-critical services running through your broadband, then implementing redundant equipment is a must. Redundant equipment in the form of secondary routers and network switches. Redundant equipment eliminates the single point of failure in your comms cabinet.
Secondary equipment should be configured to mirror your primary equipment, so that in the event you need to use it, you can swap over with minimal interference. Some of our customers even opt for enterprise-grade, hot-swappable equipment so that if a router does fail there is no downtime.
For example, when our team provide WiFi at events, we add redundant switches and routers. This equipment runs a mirror image of the main router and switch and can be quickly swapped over in the unlikely event of a hardware failure.
VoIP Telephony redundancy
As Openreach is moving towards the ISDN switch off, more businesses are moving towards VoIP for their phone systems. VoIP is a great solution, but it does rely on your broadband connection for calls. This means that if your broadband suffers an outage, so does your phone system.
Implementing VoIP redundancy alongside a broadband backup is a sensible idea. Most business telephone systems, such as 3CX, come with mobile apps which can be installed on your smartphones for taking calls when out and about. These apps also double as a backup, if your broadband goes down, your mobile will connect to cellular and you can ensure the calls keep coming in.
Main number diversion is also a great way to add redundancy into your telephone system. By diverting your main number to a mobile, you can continue to keep calls coming into your mobile, even though there is no broadband.
Broadband backups should be seen as a vital piece of infrastructure, almost as vital as the initial connection itself. Don’t let your business suffer from poor planning and lack of redundancy—many businesses don’t realise until it is too late and they lose days of productivity and revenue.
Speak to our team today for an honest and free review of your broadband connectivity, and which broadband failover solution is best for you.
